However, when it became clear that Real had no intention of letting him leave, the club struggled to find a suitable alternative and vetoed every single one of Mourinho’s suggestions.

A deal for Alderweireld was quickly considered too complicated, with Tottenham playing hard ball early on, while other targets were considered too short-term.

Despite a £100m budget, United and Mourinho could not agree on alternatives to Varane (Getty)

Bayern defender Boateng’s advancing years and chequered injury record put off United bosses, while the 32-year-old Godin ultimately rejected a move to Old Trafford.

The Red Devils were also unwilling to go beyond £65m for Maguire, while Leicester wanted a record fee for a defender, but Woodward was adamant that he would not pay over the odds for a position he is not as concerned about as Mourinho is.